Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo Shares an Incredible Story

There are some stories that catch you off guard…because they’re so remarkable. That can be said of the story from vocalist Greg Keelor, of the great Canadian band Blue Rodeo. After mentioning what the ’72 project was all about, I asked him if he was a hockey fan. “Yea, I like hockey”, he said casually.

“In 1972, I was trying out as a goalie for the Toronto Marlies and we practised at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. At the end of the tryout, I was the last guy on the ice and Team Canada ’72 would be the next team to practise. At the end of the rink, Bobby Orr steps on the ice. He was injured and didn’t play in the Series, but was on the roster. Orr’s out there kind of goofing around and taking shots on me. A few minutes later Toronto Maple Leaf great, Frank Mahovlich joins in. We played for about 30 minutes.”

I had goose bumps listening to that story and I sensed that Greg probably hadn’t spoken of that magical moment for a long time.

To learn about where Greg was when Paul Henderson scored his goal, you’ll have to stay tuned and read about Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo’s story.

While I’ve always enjoyed listening to Blue Rodeo, that story will bring an added smile to my face.